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Three Nigerians residing in the United States Olumide Olorunfunmi, Samson Amos, and Emmanuel Unuigbe are facing a potential combined prison sentence of 60 years for allegedly laundering $4.5 million.
According to a statement from the US Department of Justice, the three conspired to launder money that resulted in losses for approximately 125 victims in the US. The funds involved reportedly stemmed from romance scams and business email compromise schemes.
The announcement specified that while Amos and Unuigbe pleaded guilty in 2023, Olorunfunmi expressed his guilt during his arraignment in federal court on Friday.
The statement indicated, “Olumide Olorunfunmi, 39, a Nigerian national, appeared in federal court in Charlotte today and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to launder money from criminal proceeds associated with romance scams and business email compromise schemes. Documents presented during the court proceedings revealed that the operation led to over 125 victims transferring in excess of $4.5 million derived from illegal activities.”
“Two of Olorunfunmi’s accomplices, who are also Nigerian nationals, have previously entered guilty pleas to federal charges and are waiting for their sentences.”
In emphasizing the role of individuals in the scheme, the statement noted that victims were instructed to deposit funds into accounts managed by Amos and his co-conspirators, who subsequently transferred the money to accounts in Nigeria. The schemes, which took place between 2020 and 2023, also involved the defendants retaining a portion of the funds deposited by the victims.
The statement continued, “As Olorunfunmi acknowledged in court today, from 2020 through 2023, he and Amos, Unuigbe, along with others, conspired to launder the proceeds of various illegal activities, which included romance scams that primarily targeted elderly individuals and business email compromise schemes.
Court documents indicate that victims were directed to send funds to domestic and international bank accounts controlled by Olorunfunmi and his conspirators. Following the receipt of the fraudulent proceeds, Olorunfunmi and his associates transferred the funds to other bank accounts in the US and abroad. They profited by agreeing to ‘pay’ for the domestic deposits received by others by converting Nigerian Naira from accounts they managed in Nigeria to other accounts, using an unofficial exchange rate between the US Dollar and Naira.”
The statement concluded by noting that each defendant faces a potential 20-year prison sentence for conspiracy. “The charge of money laundering conspiracy can result in a maximum of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has yet to be scheduled,” it stated.
